oregon department of forestry

Nearly a dozen Oregon firefighters are on their way to Texas for the coming weeks, to help local crews battle wildfires across the Lone Star state. Oregon’s Department of Forestry said 21 others just returned from Texas, and 17 more remain in New Mexico on a similar mission. ODF’ ...

The Oregon Department of Forestry will be collecting Oregon Ash seed from across the state for gene pool preservation. ODF’s Jim Gersbach said the Emerald Ash Borer, an Asian based invasive pest, has been wiping out ash trees across the country since the early 2000s. "We know from st ...

The Oregon Department of Forestry announced Tuesday it had given $100,000 to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest for restoration work following a fire in the Big Butte Spring watershed. ODF said the Snowy Butte Forest Restoration Project will reduce catastrophic wildfire risk on 20,000 acres in the area that contains the year-round source of drinking water for Medford and surrounding communi

Last week, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the appointment of Doug Grafe as Wildfire Programs Director. In this position, created through Senate Bill 762, Grafe will serve as the principal advisor to the Governor on wildfire prevention and will oversee coordinating activities of the involved state agencies and other entities ...

The Oregon Department of Forestry is encouraging landowners to plan for healthy forests following the devastating wildfires that burned over Labor Day weekend. The ODF’s Jim Gersbach said when a fire sweeps through a timbered area, burned trees have perhaps less than a year before they are not commercially valuable and won't be accepted at the mill. "Land ...

Plagued by wildfires in recent years, Oregon will evaluate the effectiveness of its system to combat the flames as fire seasons grow longer and more severe.  On Wednesday, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order establishing the Oregon Wildfire Response Council, which is tasked with evaluating the state’s current response system to large fires.  In addit...

The Oregon Department of Forestry hired a new head of their Private Forests Division last week.   Lena Tucker will take over the department that oversees technical assistance programs that help private forestland owners.   Tucker has been with ODF since 1994 and is currently the chair of the Sweet Home Tree Commission and has been involved with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.   ...